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2019 Policy Grade

B

Avg. Yearly Savings

$1,451

Congratulations! You've found the ultimate guide to going solar in New Hampshire

2019 Policy Grade

B

Avg. Savings/year

$1,451

Your 2019 guide to getting solar panels for your home in New Hampshire

This page is a complete guide to the complicated and sometimes confusing process of installing solar panels on your
New Hampshire home. Since there's a lot to consider, we've separated the page into sections to help you find what you are looking for. If you find this page useful, please share it with someone who might also find it interesting!

** What's new for 2019 **

New Hampshire is one of those states that got solar right pretty early. The General Court passed a strong Renewables Portfolio Standard back in 2007, and with it came a good statewide rebate program to lower the up-front price of solar. It's now almost a decade later, and the state still has good rebates and high electricity prices, which are the major reasons solar is a great investment.

That foresight is refreshing, considering many states in other parts of the country still don't have concrete plans to back solar power. With good rules and policies in place, solar in New Hampshire makes sense practically and financially. It’s not enough, however, to rest on our laurels.

From the White Mountain National Forest, to the northern reaches of the Appalachian Trail, we have a lot of beautiful places to protect here, and we could be doing more. Read on to discover the potential for home solar in New Hampshire, and see just how the state could improve.

Breaking NewsThe New Hampshire Public utilities commission has approved a new net metering tariff, which means homeowners in the Granite State will be getting paid just a tiny bit less than they used to for their excess solar power. On top of that, the state has suspended solar rebates until at least September, 2017. Both of these changes mean the financial calculations below are no longer correct. New Hampshire can still be a great place to go solar, but it may be wise to take a wait-and-see approach until the end of summer. We'll update this section with any news as it arises.

Questions? Our network of solar experts are on call to assist you. Simply sign up for personalized assistance on our special solar deals page. You can get discounted on-grid pricing as low as $4,000/kW! This is paired with the New Hampshire solar incentives you see below.

The Solar Strategy section is focused on the 3 ways of paying for solar in
New Hampshire, so you can decide which is best for you. We've created a tool that asks you a few questions and recommends whether you should pursue a solar lease, loan, or outright purchase. Then, we provide detailed analysis of how each works.

The Policy Information section contains all our latest research on the rules set by lawmakers and the Public Utilities Commission, which determine how easy it is to go solar in
New Hampshire. These policies and rules govern everything from renewable energy mandates to interconnection, and have a huge effect on the viability of solar.

Finally, the Solar Incentives section includes information about money-back rebates and grants, tax credits, and tax exemptions for going solar in New Hampshire.

Click any of the boxes below to go to that section of the page, or scroll down to read the page in order.

Your Solar Strategy in New Hampshire

Figuring out the best way to go solar in
New Hampshire can be a little daunting. From loans and leases to power-purchase agreements, there are a lot of options out there. To help you pick the one that might be best, we've created the handy decision tool below.

We'll ask you a few simple questions about you and your home. Once you're done, we'll recommend a good option. Further down this page, we provide cost estimates and example return-on-investment calculations for all the various options:

How should you pay for solar?

Use our decision tool to find out!

How to pay for solar panels in New Hampshire

The chart above shows the 25-year returns for an investment in solar whether you choose to purchase a system with cash or pay over time with a loan or lease. One thing it's important to note is: solar makes you a lot of money in New Hampshire. Yes, we said "makes!" You see, New Hampshire's electricity prices are so high, going solar starts paying off right away. And with great rebates and tax credits, solar has never been cheaper.

Now let's discuss that chart above. We've examined three scenarios for going solar in New Hampshire, including a solar Power-Purchase Agreement (PPA), buying solar with a loan or home equity line of credit (HELOC), or paying for solar with cash. As you can see, the cash purchase option leads to the highest dollar-amount returns over time, but look a little closer. Taking a loan and paying for the system over time (the orange bars) means you'll actually spend zero dollars of your own money over time, while reaping a big financial benefit in year 1.

That's because you're paying for the system over time, but you still get all the benefits of paying up front. In New Hampshire, that means a rebate, a 30% federal tax credit, and huge annual energy savings. With those huge tax credits, you'll actually come out way ahead after the first year. And even though you'll be making loan payments for 15 years, the net cost will be so low that you'll never actually spend that first year's windfall.

Finally, take a look at the blue bars. They represent a solar Power-Purchase Agreement (PPA), which are also called third-party ownership. With a PPA, the solar installation company puts panels on your roof at no cost to you, and you make monthly payments that save you a little each month from what you had been paying the utility company. PPAs in New Hampshire are awesome, because the state's high electricity prices mean you start saving money right away. Your savings will start big and finish even bigger, because the lease cost will rise by less than the electric company's annual rate hikes. Third-party ownership is an excellent option even if you have equity or cash to put down, because it can save you tons of money!

Read more below about each of three very good options for solar in New Hampshire.

How much can you save with solar?

Option 1: Paying cash for solar

An outright purchase used to be the only way to get solar, and it's still the option that provides the "biggest" financial returns. The reason we put "biggest" in quotes here is because it's technically true—with rebates and tax credits, solar costs less than ever before, and the electricity savings in New Hampshire are so good that a solar installation pays itself off in just a few short years. But if you're interested in solar as an investment, taking a loan to pay for the system is a better option.

With a loan, you can make monthly payments instead of putting $14,000 down on a solar system, which means you save money on electricity as you pay down the cost of your panels. If you have equity in your home or can get a large loan with an interest rate of 4% or less, a loan is the option to go with. It's like being able to start a business that is sure to succeed, just by having a roof. Read about loans below.

If you've got cash and you prefer to pay up front, you'll have to plunk down $14,150, but tax breaks and energy savings will erase a bunch of that after just 1 year. Over 25 years, your system will have produced over $22,600 in income, after your system cost is paid back. The reason this works is that solar offsets your electricity costs—enough to save you $1,053 in year 1—and it just goes up from there. As the electric company raises rates, you save more and more, and more...

Net Present Value: $7,137

Net Present Value (NPV) measures how good of an investment something is, compared to the best alternative. We use a 6% return to evaluate all solar investments, and ew Hampshire's $7,137 NPV on a 5-kW solar system means you'd be that much better off investing your money in solar over 25 years than in, say, stocks. With investment return like that, you'll be padding your wallet while you save the planet. Good job! But check out what happens to NPV if you buy the same system with a loan that you can pay back over time.

Here’s how the numbers work for a 5-kW rooftop solar system in New Hampshire:

Installing a typical 5-kW solar system should start at about $14,150 after New Hampshire's $500/kW solar rebate. That's cheaper than solar has ever been, but it still might seem like a big investment. Don’t worry, because after tax breaks and energy savings, your first-year costs will be considerably less than that.

The Federal government offers a great income tax credit of 30% of system costs. That's $4,245 you won't be paying to Uncle Sam this year, and it brings your first-year investment down to $9,905.

After those tax credits, we subtract your first year’s energy savings, which we estimate to be $1,053. That reduces your cost after the first year to only $8,852—a savings of more than 37% off the post-rebate cost of your system. That's a huge cost reduction!

Those electricity savings will quickly make your money back, and your system will pay for itself in just 9 years. You'll see a total net profit of $22,614 by the end of your panels' 25-year warranty. The internal rate of return for this investment is an amazing 12.7%. That's about twice the return of an investment in index funds, and it's more reliable, too!

In addition to all that cash (and home value), you’ve created some green for the earth as well by not using electricity from fossil fuels. It's like planting 97 trees a year, every year your solar power system is humming.

Keep in mind, the numbers above are based on an average home in
New Hampshire. If you're ready for a custom quote for a solar panel system, our network of experts are on call to assist you. Simply sign up for personalized assistance on our special solar deals page.

Option 2: Using a loan to pay for solar

You don't need $16,000 sitting around to pay for solar. As long as you have equity in your home, you can still own solar panels and reap all the benefits. Heck, even if you do have the cash, getting a loan to pay for solar is by far the best option when it comes to percentage return on investment.

That’s because, in New Hampshire, using a loan to pay for solar is like investing in a business that's sure to succeed, and also earns you a tax break. You'll come out thousands ahead this year, and you'll still see a spectacular profit over the 25-year life of your system. The reason this works so well is that you're paying over time, but reaping all the benefits now. Your yearly energy savings will nearly offset the loan payments, which might sound like it's too good to be true... so let's take a look at the numbers.

A solar purchase like this will make sense for you if the following is true about you and your current situation:

You can qualify for a solar loan or home-equity line of credit (HELOC) for $14,150, with a fixed rate of 4% or lower and a 15-year repayment period. Don't be put off if you're offered a higher rate. It just means a tiny bit less of the thousands of dollars you'll make with solar.

You love making money without much risk.

Net Present Value: $7,580

Net Present Value (NPV) measures how good of an investment something is, compared to the best alternative. We use a 6% return to evaluate all solar investments, and New Hampshire's $7,580 NPV on a solar loan means you'd be that much better off investing your money in solar over 25 years than in, say, stocks. That's a huge number, and it shows how getting a loan for solar is so much better than the alternatives. You can rest easy with a solar loan knowing you're doing right for your pocketbook at the same time as you're doing right by the planet!

Here’s how the numbers pencil out for a New Hampshire homeowner who purchases a 5-kW system with a loan:

Installing a typical 5-kW solar system should start at about $14,150 after the state solar rebate. That's how big your loan will need to be to cover it.

The electricity you'll save in the first year of operation would have cost $1,053, but your annual loan payments will be $1,256, meaning you would spend $103 on solar this year, but...

You'll get huge tax break! Uncle Sam will give you 30% of the cost of your system back as an income tax credit, which in this case means $4,245 you won't be paying the Feds this year.

That huge tax credit means you'll come out $4,042 ahead after year 1, and it's pretty smooth sailing from then on out. Your yearly net cost (electricity savings minus loan payments) for solar will be $187 in year 2, and will turn into yearly profits in 2028, as the cost of electricity rises but your loan payments don't.

By the time you've paid off your loan in 2031, you'll see yearly savings of more than $1,300. After 25 years, your total profit will be $17,924!

On top of the green that will stay in your pocket, your system will mean green for the environment, too—97 trees-worth, every year!

Keep in mind, the numbers above are based on an average home in
New Hampshire. If you're ready for a custom quote for a solar loan, our network of experts are on call to assist you. Simply sign up for personalized assistance on our special solar deals page.

Option 3: Buying the electricity, not the panels with a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)

A PPA is a great way to go solar if you haven't got stacks of cash or oodles of equity in your home. With a PPA, it's possible to get solar panels for $0 down and see big savings over 20 years!

As for leases in New Hampshire: the electricity costs here are pretty high—over 33% higher than the national average. That means a PPA saves you money starting on day 1! For now, the payments on the energy produced by a 5-kW solar system should be around $706 per year, but the energy the panels generate will save you $1,053 per year. That's $347 you get to keep in your pocket this year, just for saying yes to solar!

And those savings will only get larger over time. As the utility company raises rates, your lease costs will go up by a smaller amount, meaning you'll see greater annual savings. Over 20 years, our estimate shows a total savings of $10,031. And the best part is the panels will be owned and maintained by the installation company, so all you have to do is brag to the Joneses down the street about your green habits!

Net Present Value: $5,369

Net Present Value (NPV) measures how good of an investment something is, compared to the best alternative, like an investment in the stock market. We use a 6% return to evaluate all solar investments, and since you'll start saving from day 1 with a solar PPA in New Hampshire, a the NPV is totally great! That number is pretty huge for a $0-down investment, so you can rest easy with a PPA in Arizona knowing you're doing right for your pocketbook at the same time as you're doing right by the planet!

Here's a little more about how a New Hampshire solar PPA works:

Keep in mind, the numbers above are based on an average home in
New Hampshire. If you're ready for a custom quote for a solar PPA, our network of experts are on call to assist you. Simply sign up for personalized assistance on our special solar deals page.

How much can you save with solar?

New Hampshire Solar Policy Information

Ever wonder why solar seems to be everywhere in some states, but not in others? We did too.

State legislatures and public utilities commissions can enact rules to make solar power accessible for everyone. Favorable rules explain why some of the cloudiest states—New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, are doing so well with solar, and yet some of those with the most natural solar resources—like Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia—are doing so poorly.

Below is important information about the public policy, rules, and economic reasons that affect your ability to go solar here in
New Hampshire:

RPS

24.8% by 2025

Grade: B

A Renewables Portfolio Standard (“RPS”) basically requires a certain percentage of a state’s energy production comes from renewable sources like solar panels by a specific date in the future. A strong RPS is important because it forces utility companies to promote conversion to renewable energy. That generally means free money for you in the form of solar power rebates and performance payments when you switch to solar.

If you keep up with renewable energy policy, you already know that some states have RPS goals as high as 30%, even 40% production in the not-that-distant future. We’re not quite at that level here, but our RPS is pretty strong! New Hampshire’s RPS, first passed in 2007, mandates that utilities (excluding municipal electric companies) generate 24.8% of total electricity output from renewable sources by 2025.

What's an RPS? Your state legislature paves the way for strong solar energy incentives to flourish by setting standards for renewable energy generation within their territories. Those standards are called the state’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS). If utility companies do not meet these standards, they must pay alternative compliance fees directly to the state. Many utilities then determine the best ways to source their energy from renewable sources that are less expensive than this fee.

An RPS is a mandate that says "Hey utilities! Y'all now have to make a certain percentage of your electricity from renewable sources. If not, you'll have to pay us huge fines." The consequences are good, because utilities usually try to meet these RPS standards by creating solar power incentives for you, the homeowner. Read more about Renewable Portfolio Standards.

RPS solar carve out

.3% by 2025

Grade: C

As stated above, utilities must generate about 25% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2025. That figure also includes a specific carve out of 0.3% generation from solar power. While it's laudable New Hampshire has put together this requirement, point three percent isn't that inspiring compared to what other more progressive states have accomplished.

What's a solar set aside? A solar set aside guarantees a specific portion of the overall renewable energy mix generated comes from the sun. For those states with progressive standards, high alternative compliance payments, and clear solar carve outs, the faster those areas become ripe for solar.

Some states have higher alternative compliance fees than others, and some states have more progressive alternative energy standards and deadlines than others do.

For instance, New Jersey has an overall RPS of 22.5% by the year 2021. That requires local utilities to source 22.5% of their energy mix from renewable sources by the year 2021. Pretty good. However, New Jersey also has a specific solar set aside of 4.1% by 2028. That’s the type of firm commitment which really gets the industry rolling forward. No wonder why New Jersey is one of the hottest solar markets right now!

New Hampshire Electricity Prices

$0.20/kwh

Grade: A

New Hampshire residents pay an average of 20 cents per kWh of electricity. That’s 48% higher than the national average of 13.6 cents/kWh. We know it's annoying how high your electric bill is every month, but that additional cost also reflects an opportunity to save with solar panels. High electricity prices mean big savings when you’re producing your own electricity.

Even with the comparatively high prices here, we still think the cost of electricity is too cheap. Electricity prices are driven down short term by burning dangerous amounts of coal. But as you already know, there are huge long-term costs associated with those short-term savings. When those long-term costs start to really kick in, electricity prices are going to rise and rise (and rise). With New Hampshire as a good example, we can see within the past calendar year that they already have; electricity costs have risen by 2 cents per kWh, a trend we expect to continue. However, you’ll be saving and saving and saving with all that cheap, earth-friendly solar power you’ll soon be producing.

Why are electricity prices so important? Because that is what solar power is directly competing against. The cost to produce power with solar is relatively constant (of course how much sun hits your area has an effect), so if you are paying $0.40 per watt for power, then you make FOUR TIMES AS MUCH as the guy or girl paying $0.10 per watt electricity.

The caveat here is that if the $0.10 per watt person has a HUGE rebate, they may be better off than the $0.40 per watt person. Because of that, states without any renewable standards tend to be heavily reliant on cheap coal for electricity, and also have very low electricity prices. When electricity prices are artificially low, that hinders the ability of solar energy to achieve meaningful payback in the state.

New Hampshire Net Metering

Statewide

Grade: A

Net Metering requires your utility to monitor how much energy your solar power system produces and how much energy you actually consume, and make sure you get credit for the surplus. The New Hampshire PUC has adopted uniform rules that require all utilities to offer net metering to residential customers. Surplus energy will be applied as a credit to the next month’s bill, and credits can be carried over indefinitely. In addition, customers on the default service plan may elect to receive annual payments for net metering surplus, if the surplus exceeds 600 kilowatt-hours (“kwh”).

That’s pretty strong, but there might be changes coming soon. H.B. 1116, enacted in May 2016, raises New Hampshire's net metering aggregate capacity limit from 50 MW to 100 MW. The bill also directs the Public Utilities Commission to initiate a proceeding to develop new alternative net metering tariffs. That coul spell trouble, as other formerly solar-friendly states have not proven good at coming up with replacement for net metering.

What is net metering? Net metering is the billing arrangement where you can sell excess electricity back to your utility for equal the amount you are charged to consume it. The more customer friendly net metering policies, the higher the grade.

The grade here specifically reflects individual solar system capacity, caps on program capacity limits, restrictions on “rollover” of kWh from one month to the next (yep just like cell phone minutes), metering issues (like charges for new meters), Renewable Energy Credit (REC) ownership, eligible customers and technology (the more renewables the better), being able to aggregate meters across the property for net metering, and safe harbor provisions to protect customers from solar tariff changes.

New Hampshire Interconnection Rules

Statewide, but complex

Grade: D

Interconnection in New Hampshire is more of a mixed bag. Utilities may not require customer-generators to perform additional tests, or pay for additional interconnection-related charges. Insurance is not required. That’s great. What’s not so hot is the lack of differentiation between different system sizes. The process for your small residential system is the same as the process for a giant industrial system. That’s needlessly complex and time-consuming, and legislators are missing a tremendously simple opportunity to make the conversion to solar power easier for you.

Of course, if you’d like some personalized assistance, get in touch with us and we’ll have an expert contact you in a jiffy.

Interconnection rules are a little technical, but they basically allow you to “plug in” to the electric grid with solar panels on your roof. The more complex, out of date, or nonsensical the state rules are for plugging into the grid, the lower the grade.

Solar Incentives in New Hampshire

Next to high electricity prices and net metering, solar incentives have traditionally been the most important factor for whether home solar power makes financial sense in a state. In the past, some states with otherwise lousy policy had tremendous incentives that drove down the up-front cost of going solar so much that homeowners could save oodles of money even without net metering or a good RPS.

These days, the big incentive most people can get is the Federal Solar Tax Credit that earns you 30% of your costs back after just 1 year. State incentives play less of a role than in the past, but some really good ones are still out there, ready to help homeowners go solar and save money before you know it.

Let's see how New Hampshire measures up:

New Hampshire Solar Power Rebates

$200/kW statewide (max $1,000), plus $250/kW for NHEC customers

Grade: A

The New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission (“PUC”) runs a statewide solar power rebate program that offers $200 per kilowatt (kW), up to $1,000 or 50% of project costs, whichever is less. All residential systems are eligible for the rebate, but because the maximum incentive is $1,000, that means a de facto cap of 5-kW for the rebate.

On top of the state's rebate, if you are a New Hampshire Electric Co-Op customer, you can get an additional rebate of $250/kW, up to a maximum of $1,375. For our example 5-kW system, the two rebates combine to equal a cool $5,000 off your shiny new solar system.</p?

How do solar rebates work? Similar to getting a rebate card from your local big box store for a dishwasher purchase, state legislatures also provide rebates for solar panel purchases to spur on investment and create new jobs. If you purchase the solar panel system yourself, you qualify for this free cash, which many times is a lump payment back to you. Some solar installers like to take this amount directly off the total installed price, and they'll handle the paperwork for you to make things a lot less complex.

The availability of state and utility rebates were sourced from the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Energy Efficiency. The better the rebates, the higher the grade.

New Hampshire Solar Power Tax Credits

No State Income Tax

Grade: C

Since there's no state income tax in New Hampshire, there aren't any solar tax credits to redeem! However, you can still take advantage of the 30% federal solar tax credit (more on that in the 5kw example below).

About state solar tax credits: State tax credits are not technically free money. However, they are 'credits' and not 'deductions' which means that if you have the tax appetite to take advantage of them, then they can be a 1-to-1 dollar amount off your taxes instead of a fraction of the cost of the system. So that means they can be an important factor to consider. In certain circumstances, state tax credits can provide a very powerful incentive for people to go solar.

(Keep in mind, we are not tax professionals and give no tax advice so please consult a professional before acting on anything we say related to taxes)

Solar Power Performance Payments

None

Grade: F

New Hampshire does not offer any performance incentives for solar power. Both the utilities and the legislature are missing a prime opportunity for a simple and direct way to encourage enough renewable energy to meet those RPS goals. State legislature would be wise to make a change in this department, as it is easy to encourage people to make a change that will benefit them both in the short term and long term, as performance payments have the ability to do.

Explanation of performance payments: Performance payments represent a big chunk of the financial rationale for going solar, and in many instances they make your decision a wise one. For certain states, if you’ve got solar panels on your roof, not only will you be cutting your electric bill down to size, but you'll be getting paid additional cash from your utility company. Pretty awesome, huh? Not only are you generating electricity for yourself, freezing your own popsicles with sun, and feeling like you’re doing something smart for your children or any of the other 4 reasons people go solar, but you are getting PAID!

Utility companies are paying people with solar panels on their roofs because their states say they have to, otherwise they will pay a fee. Therefore, the payment amount to homeowners is typically a little bit less than the amount they would be billed for by the state. For states with these alternative compliance fees, Solar Renewable Energy Credit (SREC) exchanges have popped up. In the above chart, we outlined an estimate of yearly payments a homeowner might expect from the utility company for the SREC credits from their solar energy system.

Property Tax Exemption

Local Option

Grade: C

When you install a solar power system, your home appreciates by twenty times your annual electricity savings. New Hampshire allows cities and towns to exempt that increase in home value from all associated property taxes. More than 80 cities and towns in New Hampshire have adopted a property tax exemption for one or more of these energy sources. Here's a full list of the cities and towns that have adopted a property tax exemption for solar power. Don’t fret the details; expert solar installers we partner with will walk you through all the details.

About solar property tax exemptions: Property tax exemption status is a pretty big factor when putting together your investment considerations. Some argue that solar power adds approximately 20 times your annual electricity bill savings (if you are owning the system and not leasing). Other studies seem to indicate a home price premium about equal to the cost of installing the system, minus any incentives like the federal solar tax credit.

For many average-sized solar power systems on a house, that can mean adding $20,000 to your home value. And if you don't believe us, believe the bean counters: Many banks and solar financing companies now offer traditional style equity-based home loans for installing solar. An additional $20,000 in property tax basis in many states amounts to a big chunk of change owed back to the state. However, many states have complete exemptions from added taxes when you install solar on your home!

The availability of a property tax exemption for solar energy was sourced from the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Energy Efficiency. Grades in this category are basically all-or-nothing. Either you got it or you don't. Thankfully, many states have "got it.".

Sales Tax Exemption

No State Sales Tax

Grade: A

This is an area in which us “New Hampshirites” luck out. As residents of the state are well aware of, there is no state sales tax. Many states offer a sales-tax exemption, but residents of New Hampshire need not worry about this.

What's the deal with solar power sales tax exemptions? When states give you a sales tax break on solar, we notice. You should too. State sales tax exemption status for the purchase of solar energy systems were sourced from the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Energy Efficiency. Sales tax exemptions, if present, were all 100%. A handful of states are completely exempt from sales tax regardless, and therefore received ‘A’ grades by default (OR, DE, MT, AK, and NH).

The consensus on New Hampshire solar power rebates and incentives

Not too shabby at all, but we definitely still have room for improvement here. The strong RPS and the adequate solar power rebate program are a solid start, but we’d really like to see an expanded rebate or a performance incentive program to help push the payback timeframe under 10 years (at the least) before we can give New Hampshire top marks. For now we’ll have to settle for a solid but not spectacular “B” here.

27 thoughts on “2019 New Hampshire Home Solar Incentives, Rebates, and Tax Credits”

Greenland, NH also adds $15,000 or more to the assessed value for property tax based on the size of the solar system. I am trying to find out how to go about getting this changed. The State gives a rebate but then it’s taken away with added value to the property tax. Amazing! I know there are several towns that are more progressive in NH.

2016 – 2019: The tax credit remains at 30 percent of the cost of the system. 2020: Owners of new residential and commercial solar can deduct 26 percent of the cost of the system from their taxes. 2021: Owners of new residential and commercial solar can deduct 22 percent of the cost of the system from their taxes. 2022 onwards: Owners of new COMMERCIAL solar energy systems can deduct 10 percent, but there will be ZERO federal credit for residential solar energy systems.

NH Solar must be up-sized by at least 44% to 27% compared with systems in Albuquerque NM or Tampa FL, respectively. Payback period is extended proportionately from 7yr to 9yr or 10yr respectively for south-facing shade-free arrays. For east/west facing, payback increases ~42% to 13-14 yrs. However, systems can last 40 years or more with replacement of weak panels or failed inverters. So the real keys are: 1) how long will you live in your home and 2) how long will YOU live to enjoy free energy AFTER payback.

Anyone residing in New Ipswich NH should know that this town decided to start taxing solar as Real Estate, thereby negating most of the savings. A group of concerned taxpayers are working to put a warrant article on the ballot for 2017 for some sort of tax relief. Note, the tax also applies for solar panels which are leased.

If you want experience, you really should consider joining SEAREI (see SEAREI.org or check the Facebook group) SEAREI is a non-profit that does “Energy Raisers”, like an old fashioned “barn raiser” for both Solar Hot Water and PV. We have one of each going in before the end of the year. People get together and are part of teams working under the direction of local tradesmen (like Glover Plumbing Miner Electric, Harmony Energy Works). It is a great time, a good thing, and you get lots of hand-on – and meet great people. We will also be holding training classes this winter, if you want to up your training.

I have recently completed a course in Photo-Voltaic installation and am trying to break into the field. I would like to learn more from “on the job” experience. The more we can promote renewable energy the more systems we can get up and running.

While cost is certaily not the only reason to go solar, end costs have plummeted within the last year due to falling module prices and state and federal rebates. For small 2KW – 2.5KW systems that means only about $2/W ($4000-$5000 total installed net cost). There are also 2 state non-profit groups SEAREI and PAREI that do community barn-raiser style “Energy Raisers” for both PV and solar hot water which reduces the labor component by allowing you to “pay it forward”. So, cost is really no longer a valid argument. When you also include the increased value to your house (a minimum of $15,000 for every $1,000 you reduce your annual energy costs) plus 25+ years of energy production, your real return is almost 4 times what you paid for the system. Unthink Solar.

Bill they are not that expensive any more, prices have dropped alot in the last year. Plus with some of the options out there any more you can even get a solar system on your roof without any investment while saving upto 20% a month.

It is about time we begin to realize the environmental and economical benefits of alternative energy. Even just as important is increased energy efficiency. If you are considering a Solar Power, Solar Thermal(water heating for various uses), Wind Power, Geothermal etc… one should request an energy audit from their local utility. They will recommend low cost excellent conservation and energy efficiency improvements for your structure. Once you have had an energy audit and understand your consumption contact SunWindLLc.com for a site evaluation and proposal for an alternative energy system. The current administration has increased tax credits and combined with state and utility incentives there is no better time to hop on board the green train!!!

Northern New Hampshire may not be the best place to install solar collecting panels, however, has the technology improves I believe solar panels in conjunction with wind power will become a via able alternative.

I am looking for a career change and believe that solar power is definitely the future. What is my best course of action at this point. I have two college degrees and am very “good with my hands”. I built a structurally insulated panel home and heat with pellets. I want to be part of the revelution.

GREAT NEWS! NH Has passed a $6,000.00 Rebate for Solar Energy good till 2011. Please go to http://www.photovoltus.com SOLAR ENERGY INSTALLERS, SALES AND TECHS FOR All of New England to learn more on how to get solar energy for your business or home TODAY!

This is a very good idea. This is the best way to heat with solar energy.
I sell a solar space heating collector system which is approved federal rebates and generates about 28,000 BTUs per day. If you reply to my email I can call you and provide you with the details. My solar collector system will supplement your existing heating system and save about 40 to 50% of your heating costs.

Hi
I live in a small town in NH and since we do not have a state wide policy on renewable energy I am trying to have the town adopt one. I have writen up a petition and have received the required amount of signatures for the statutes to be placed on the agenda for the next town meeting. Where do I go from here? Is there a protocol to follow when adopting these statutes? Any information would be tremendously helpful.
Thank you.

Hello. We have a one year old house that has radiant heat, and we use propane for heating, hot water, cooking, etc. (everything except for our electric dryer). Our electric bill is around $120/month, and we use about 1000-1100 gallons of propane a year.

First of all, even though we have radiant heat, and we use propane to heat the hot water, is there any sort of a solar setup that could help us reduce the amount of propane that we use? Is there a separate heating unit that could work in conjunction with our radiant heating system to help us cut back on propane use? Is our electric bill expensive enough where the savings with solar power would be justified in a reasonable amount of time? Could solar power help us cut back on electric and propane costs?

I sell a solar space heating collector system which is approved federal rebates and generates about 28,000 BTUs per day. If you reply to my email I can call you and provide you with the details. My solar collector system will supplement your existing heating system and save about 40 to 50% of your heating costs.

Switch to solar and save $36.44/mo on average ($0 installations may be available)

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